The cigarettes consumed by people are normally manufactured by factories and are sold in market. A cigarette is typically known to be a paper wrapped tube stuffed with finely cut tobacco leaves that may have a filter. Generally, the tobacco leaves are cured and processed with additives. There are many flavors and brands of premade cigarettes that people can purchase that have different types of tobacco leaves, which may undergo different cure processes and additives. However, some people wish to fill and smoke their own tobacco cigarettes, sometimes referred to as “roll your own” or “RYO” products.
For people that wish to fill and smoke their own tobacco cigarettes, there are different methods of preparation for the cigarettes. One is that they can be manually prepared by hand, by rolling a cigarette paper with cut tobacco leaves inside. Performing these functions by hand can require a significant amount of time and can be difficult for some individuals. Further, stuffing shredded tobacco leaves with a uniform and proper compactness can be a skill that requires a significant amount of practice. If the shredded tobacco leaves are too compressed, the cigarettes can be difficult to smoke. Alternatively, if the tobacco leaves are wrapped too loosely, the tobacco may fall out of the cigarette before or during a smoking session, or the burning end or “ash” of the cigarette may either extinguish or even fall off during a smoking session.
Another method of preparing cigarettes that people can perform on their own is through the use of a cigarette preparing machine. These usually comprise an injection device within a machine casing and an actuation device for actuating the injection device. The injection device typically comprises a plunger or “spoon” that is actuated by the actuation device and fills a predetermined amount of tobacco into an empty cigarette tube.
Currently there are machines that are commercially available that allow people to make cigarettes with their own tobacco. However, there are a number of problems that plague these existing machines. For example, a manual crank-type machine can be operated by a user filling shredded tobacco leaves into the crank nozzle, such that when the crank nozzle is inserted into the cigarette paper tube, the tobacco leaves are loaded therein. The advantage of the manual crank-type machine is that it reduces the amount of time required for users to prepare each cigarette, compared to hand rolling. However, a drawback of the manual crank-type machine is that the injection is not automatic or electrically powered. As such, the user must use both hands to provide force, alignment, and stability. Another drawback is that the tobacco leaves might not be evenly loaded within the cigarette paper tube, such that compactness of the resulting cigarette is not uniform.
Automatic cigarette rolling machines have also been created that are driven by electric power. These use motors to automatically inject tobacco leaves into cigarette tubes. One problem with these machines is that they can be large and heavy. Another problem is that tobacco leaves can be shredded into small pieces within the cigarette paper tube. Therefore, when the cigarette is lit, the cigarette ash cannot be held properly while smoking and will fall unexpectedly, causing a messy and potentially dangerous situation. In various embodiments, this is an issue with auger type machines. Additionally, these machines are prone to jamming. Further, these machines can be quite expensive
Some attempts have been made at creating cigarette rolling machines, including in U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. No. 2006/0096604 to Moser and U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. No. 2015/0047654 to Thiry. These machines and other solutions proposed have been less than desirable because they are completely mechanical, measure compaction with a single sensor, include only a single compressor, lack proper agitation of tobacco prior to filling, and have been expensive.
There is therefore a need for improved methods, devices, and systems that allows users to easily, simply, effectively, and automatically insert tobacco into a cigarette paper tube.